Adaptive rule based electronic reminder for personal objects

Abstract

A method and systems for reminding a user about personal objects that should be carried or should not be carried, depending upon the user, the date and the time and other parameters. In the system, a radio frequency identifiers tag identifying each personal object is directly attached to the object. All the objects are listed in an object table storing the identifiers and their main characteristics. A rule table is provided having entries setting forth the relations between the objects according to four basis rules of the types “X requires Y”, “X excludes Y”, “X required” and “X excluded”. When activated, the reminder device checks the present objects and analyzes the rules to determine which objects are missing and which objects should be absent. The user is forewarn if objects are missing or should be absent.

1. A method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects comprising:
 a) providing a plurality of tags, each tag for attachment on a corresponding object of said at least two objects, each tag having a wireless communication device and a unique identifier, 
 b) providing a rule table storing at least one rule relative to the presence or absence of said objects according to the tag identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects, said at least one rule having the presence of one of said at least two objects as condition and the presence or absence of the other one of said at least two objects as consequence; 
 c) providing an object table having tag entries for recording object and corresponding tag identifier data, wherein a tag entry comprises at least one virtual object representing a logical combination of said at least two objects; 
 d) receiving a list of identifiers of detected tags; 
 e) selecting as a current rule, a rule from said rule table; 
 f) from said received list of identifiers of detected tags, determining if said current rule is applicable and in compliance, and if said current rule is not in compliance, generating a warning for a user; and, 
 g) determining if said current rule is a last rule of said rule table and, if said current rule is not the last rule of said rule table, 
 h) selecting the next rule of said rule table as the current rule; and, 
 i) repeating steps f)-h) until said current rule is said last rule. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of determining if said current rule is applicable comprises:
 determining a current time; and, 
 comparing said current time with a time associated with the identifier of the tag attached to the object that presence is the condition of said current rule. 
 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein a warning message is associated to each rule of said rule table, said warning message being one or more of: displayed on a display device, played on an audio play back device, or displayed and played, when the corresponding rule is applicable and is not in compliance. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: detecting a predetermined event, and, warning the user upon detection of said predetermined event. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said predetermined event comprises the detection of a predetermined identifier of a tag. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said tags having said wireless communication device comprise a passive or semi-passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device. 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: identifying in said object table at least the identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects and the name of the corresponding object, the name of the objects that presence or absence causes at least one rule to be not in compliance. 
   
   
     8. A program storage device tangibly embodying software instructions which are adapted to be executed by a computing device to perform a method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects, said method steps comprising:
 a) providing a plurality of tags, each tag for attachment on a corresponding object of said at least two objects, each tag having a wireless communication device and a unique identifier, 
 b) providing a rule table storing at least one rule relative to the presence or absence of said objects according to the tag identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects, said at least one rule having the presence of one of said at least two objects as condition and the presence or absence of the other one of said at least two objects as consequence; 
 c) providing an object table having tag entries for recording object and corresponding tag identifier data, wherein a tag entry comprises at least one virtual object representing a logical combination of said at least two objects; 
 d) receiving a list of identifiers of detected tags; 
 e) selecting as a current rule, a rule from said rule table; 
 f) from said received list of identifiers of detected tags, determining if said current rule is applicable and in compliance, and if said current rule is not in compliance, generating a warning for a user; and, 
 g) determining if said current rule is a last rule of said rule table and, if said current rule is not the last rule of said rule table, 
 h) selecting the next rule of said rule table as the current rule; and, 
 i) repeating steps f)-h) until said current rule is said last rule.